Air New Zealand has unveiled its new uniform collection with a bold and elegant assortment of clothing options for cabin crew, pilots, and ground staff.
Air New Zealand Unveils “Anything But Uniform” New Uniforms
Designed by Emilia Wickstead and modeled on hand-painted prints from artist Te Rangitu Netana, the uniform “marks the beginning of a new era for Air New Zealand, prioritizing what makes New Zealand unique to create a collection that is anything but uniform.”
Flight attendant uniforms feature a “kōwhai print” with “purapura whetū patterns.” Pilot uniforms feature “a bold pinstriped suit with Kiwi feather lining.”
Take a look:
In short, I love these uniforms…they are unique and classy. I love the feather-print ties and suit linings. The colors and design give the uniforms a uniquely Kiwi touch.
There’s also another agenda behind these uniforms.
Air New Zealand says, “This is more than just a uniform. It’s a celebration of our people, our culture, and our values.” Indeed, these uniforms are quite progressive too, since it appears there will be gender-neutral options based on the flight attendant named “Steven” in the promo photos wearing a blouse. Per Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran:
“Air New Zealand has never been about standing still or blending in. We have a tradition of being bold, showcasing what makes us unique, and celebrating our team members. Our new uniform encapsulates everything we stand for – a combination of innovation, rich cultural heritage, and a deep sense of pride and belonging.”
I use the word “woke” cautiously because it is a word that has morphed to mean many things to many people. As I define it here, it means embracing a worldview that is aware of and actively attentive to razing historic distinctions based on gender.
Air New Zealand adds, “The uniform is a true reflection of Air New Zealand’s commitment to empowering its people. This uniform is not only a symbol of Air New Zealand’s unique place in the world, but also where Aotearoa is today.”
Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand.
When Will These Be Rolled Out?
The new uniforms will not be rolled out for all 6,000 employees until 2026. Starting in May 2025, they will be tested for an extended period by a subset of flight attendants. Air New Zealand first announced new uniforms before the pandemic, so this project has been years in the making.
CONCLUSION
Air New Zealand has debuted new uniforms that strike me as intricately detailed, classy, and a fitting homage to New Zealand. The new uniforms will be tested this year with plans to roll them out across the system in 2026.
What do you think of the new uniforms?
images: Air New Zealand
“As I define it here, it means embracing a worldview that is aware of and actively attentive to razing historic distinctions based on gender.”
It’s called enablement.
And it needs to stop.
ESPECIALLY in a professional setting where people are there “primarily for your safety.”
I’ve always regarded the use of the term ‘woke’ as a demonstration that the user of said term fails to understand, probably because they lack the intelligence, that others may have a set of different values and principles to their own and the also lack the ability to look critically at their own position while shouting down others as wrong. On that basis where the current Tory junta is concerned, I’m fairly certain that the vast majority of the country are ‘woke’ and that we will dispense with their services at the earliest opportunity.
You seem to fit the bill.
Stylish
In today’s world the word woke is in 99.9% of cases used in a derogatory manner, so I would have chosen “progressive” instead.
You’re right that progressive probably works better.
So instead of just agreeing that ‘progressive’ would have been better, why don’t you update the heading of the article. You wouldn’t want to be engaging in click bait dog whistle posting to activate the MAGAs in your audience would you??
Because I still don’t think “woke” is wrong, even if progressive is the better fit.
I’m not dogmatic about it and I genuinely like the new uniforms and don’t care what Steven wears.
Maybe you help me understand why “woke” has become such a taboo word…?
Recommend educating yourself, Matthew.
https://theconversation.com/heres-what-woke-means-and-how-to-respond-to-it-219588
“woke” is the boogieman of conservative christians. you know what you’re doing here matthew.
If the employees like them and they wear comfortably , good. The purple seems a touch deeper than I would choose, for visibility purposes.
“Woke” was a very bad choice of words, even with your explanation it doesn’t make sense. As someone else suggested “progressive” is much better.
Why is referencing design from the local culture “woke?”
It’s woke or progressive because biological males can wear uniforms/styles traditionally worn only by biological females…it has nothing to do with the design. It is a statement that goes beyond the uniform design.
I think we are an interesting time in gender expression. Things that used to be exclusively for women, are now open to men as well as we see a lot more men wearing makeup or shopping in the women’s department for a wider range of fits and cuts. I see fashion shifting from rigid constructions of male and female to masculine and feminine, where the wearer can choose to incorporate a more masculine or feminine element. We’ve seen this for decades in women’s fashion where blazers and suits, which were traditionally men’s items, get worn and adjusted in uniquely feminine ways. The inverse seems to be happening now.
I’d encourage you to look at the language you use to describe gender and sex. This is a rapidly changing area of language as we collectively seek to find the right words to describe the concepts in a better way, not to police language. “Biological Women” seems to be the choice of the right at this moment, but that is tricky. How do you define biological? Chromosomes, hormone levels, genitalia? There are exceptions to all of these; a person born with female genitalia, can have an XY chromosome, and female hormones. Would they be a “biological woman”? I don’t think I have, nor is there a perfect answer yet.
Wow ! Did you say you were conservative , and a registered Republican ???
I do believe you actually did say that many times in the past !
Wow !!!
Look Matthew you are not a conservative and you never have been .
You have been drifting towards the left ideology for a while now , especially now that the true conservatives are in power in USA .
You can’t help yourself attacking the true conservatives and their high profile supporters , like Tucker Carlson .
Let me remind you that Tucker has a following of over 100 million hits !
How many hits does your blog get ?
Comparing you to Tucker is like comparing a candle to a lighthouse !
That is why you have a dwindling base .
You reserve your most viscous criticism for the conservative thinkers .
Why ?
Probably because you have drifted so far left that you don’t even realise it .
I know it’s not the conservatives that you object to , it is the Trump Conservatives , because according to you they are not the true conservatives .
Wow !!
Well November 4 2024 proved your theory all wrong !
But you continue to live in Biden era , totally woke , discredited , and rejected by an overwhelming majority of American people !
In every way the Biden Democrats and their extreme left ideology has been repudiated by the American people .
Not only in USA , but everywhere else in the free world , just look at Europe .
Especially Germany .
Despite the fact that the Right political parties have been overwhelmingly endorsed by the German people , the new so called right of the centre party , the Christian Democratic Party won’t form a coalition with their natural allies , the German Alternative Party !
Wow ?
Why is that ?
Yes , I know they are racist , like Trump ?
Right !
But the penny hasn’t dropped for you yet ?
So continue with your woke ideology , and you will go broke like most other lefties and their organisations !
I know you will just ignore my thoughts and think that it coming from some MAGA supporter .
No Matthew ,
I am an Australian .
I don’t get to vote in USA elections .
But I get the picture .
The tide has turned and will continue to turn across the Globe .
Wokism and Leftism is toxic and is being rejected everywhere across the world .
You can still save your blog by simply choosing to stick to travelling themes , and steer away from politics .
It’s not too late for you .
But what do I know about politics Matthew
Please visit the land of Down Under .
Because the choice is very divisive that’s why ,!
it pretends that it is the only culture that exists and matters !
It is simply not true , and it is the Left , and only the Left , that keep shoving this absurd nonsense down people’s throats !
At least 90 % of New Zealand’s population is not Māori !
Love how this airline embraces all of its Team members.
I also like some of the options but not 25 different looks like some US airlines have.
Have always like watching Asian and Middle Eastern airline crews walking thru an airport where everyone blends in beautifully. Then the United or Delta crews walk by looking like the Goodwill bargain basement special !
Good thing Air New Zealand doesn’t fly to Florida !
Love that you’re poking the bear after this week’s earlier post! These are incredible and a great evolution of uniforms. We’ve seen a rise in gender neutral clothing, and how trends are spanning across masculine and feminine fashion when they used to be limited to one side or the other. The designer seemed to be aware of that and did a great job of including that in their designs.
It was what, three days ago that we had a blog post about the perils of a travel blog getting overly politically toxic, and today we have “woke” in the headline for clicks
You missed the point of that. The point was not avoiding political topics altogether, but whether I should avoid expressing my personal political views. The politics of this story cannot be avoided when it is so obvious…telling you what I believe is what I am considering doing much less off.
You go Woke …. You go Broke !!!
That is why it is a Taboo subject !!!
Matthew , your ‘personal political views ‘ are very well known to all your readers because you have expressed them often enough on your blog and elsewhere .
That is not the point , you are entitled to express them like everybody else !
The point is they are very much on the left of the political spectrum !!
But , you continue to pretend otherwise !
I believe this is what gets under the skin of your readers , you just need to be more honest about that !
Uhhhh… it’s not progressive OR woke. It’s a traditional Polynesian lavalava. Conservative Christian men wear them to church. Come on kids, I thought travel was supposed to expand our horizons!
Not talking about the lavalava…I’m well-aware of what that is.
Hopefully the uniforms won’t be laden with a toxic brew of chemicals like AA & DL, ultimately leading to their demise after so much invested time, energy, hype & $$ !
Count me as someone who thinks “woke” is a click-baity choice of words designed to draw the ire of folks who view it in a negative light.
Mr Klint, men from many parts of the world wear garments similar to this, particularly throughout Polynesia. Western Europe and its modern-day, rather restrictive, set of clothing norms doesn’t represent the world. I’m glad Air New Zealand is offering multiple choices both for the comfort and cultures of its crew members.
Again, I’m not talking about the kilt-like clothing article. I’m talking about the fact that it appears anyone can wear any item…which is a bit different than the past. And air New Zealand embraces it.
Disappointed to see Matthew policing his own speech to satisfy the woke mob, just as I predicted in recent days. Asking them for advice (in the comments section) to make sure he doesn’t offend the 24/7 Karen’s.
It’s a sad reality that no one can ever grovel enough to satisfy the Orwellian Left. They have learned nothing from 2024. Oppression Olympics 2.0
They look great, and are very stylish and modern. I like how ANZ focused on their culture and people and trying something different, and not just repeating what has been done in the past.
But what exactly is the definition of ‘woke’? I hear it thrown around a lot and do not quite understand why it bother’s conservative men. Why are they so threatened by ‘woke’?
I find it so telling when a man feels the need to call out another man for wearing a dress, skirt, or such. Do such men call out a woman for wearing pants? Or a tie and jacket? No, because men who are comfortable with their gender, and sexuality are not affected by such behavior. So if that does bothers you then you really do have some problems and identity issues.
I’m not sure about the pilot uniform. The cut, the pinstripes, and the bright silver buttons make it look like a suit from the 1920s. As for the “woke” aspect, I’m quite happy for people to wear whatever they want, but they shouldn’t be surprised when others comment on, or laugh at, their choices.